I had a call from someone looking for a nanny (I'm on the board of our local child care association and we do referrals for families). She was having triplets and was looking for someone to come to her house to help out 3-4 days a week. She said she was looking for someone that was inexpensive. I didn't wait to hear what "inexpensive" meant to her and I just informed her that what she was looking for wad called a "nanny" and that unless she found a SAHM that was willing to help her out and willing to charge less she was looking at $120-$160 for 3-4 days and that was on the lower side. She was not happy. She wanted someone with credentials, background checked, CPR and safety training, education and experience. I suggested that she place an add for that on CL or Care.com because I would not be able to help her find what she was looking for not for less than what I quoted her for.

I did however tell her that I personally knew someone that had been a teacher but decided to stay home with her children once she had her first one (she now has 2 children) and that she is known to take on nanny type work from time to time at a discounted rate as long as she was able to take her 2 girls along. The woman was adamant that other children would not be welcomed and that "she would need to leave her own kids with someone else". At that point I told her that it would not work because the while point of her not working was to be a SAHM and not leave her kids with a sitter. Her response was "she doesn't have someone she can leave them with?" And what I wanted to say was "don't you?" But instead I said "She chose to leave a FT teaching position to be a SAHM to be with her children which is why she only accepts jobs which allow her girls. Do you see how accepting a nanny job which didn't allow that just wouldn't appeal to her? Especially for a low amount of pay". Man, the woman sounded really frustrated but I just really think that she had no clue about child care. I must have spent 25 minutes with her on the phone explaining her options and I don't think I was any closer to having her understand, maybe because nothing I said was what she wanted to hear lol.